1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating culinary gaseous effluents carried in an air extraction duct of a kitchen.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention also relates to a plant for extracting air from a kitchen.
Anyone versed in the art of foul odour treatment will immediately recognize that the invention presented here in the form of the description of apparatus and the way said apparatus functions, also defines without ambiguity novel methods to execute the odour destruction that can be considered as well as novel inventions for which we seek patent protection.
In a kitchen, in particular in a professional catering kitchen or in an industrial culinary laboratory, the gaseous effluents produced by the culinary operations, in particular when cooking to food, are removed to the outside by means of an extractor hood and an air extraction duct which discharges outside the kitchen.
These gaseous effluents contain foul-smelling organic compounds such as ammonia (NH3), sulphuric acid (H2S), mercaptans, fatty acids, etc. These foul-smelling molecules arise in particular from the combustion of plant and/or animal oils when, cooking food.
The presence of these foul-smelling molecules in the gaseous effluents is a considerable source of olfactory nuisance, especially for the surroundings located close to the region discharging the gaseous effluents.
The regulations applicable to kitchens in a professional environment are becoming increasingly restrictive on this subject. French Ministerial Decree (Ministry of Agriculture) of 9 May 1995, Part 1, Chapter 1, Article 3, paragraphs 2a and 2e may be quoted for example: “ . . . the (kitchen) premises must enable good hygiene practices to be implemented . . . in particular, to prevent . . . by ventilation . . . the persistence of bad smells . . . ”.
To solve the problem of these bad smells, it is known to use a perfumed or deodorizing chemical product, so as to mask the bad smells in the kitchen. However, this solution is not completely satisfactory since it leads to producing a mixture of smells which may prove to be unpleasant to smell.
Furthermore, the use of a deodorant in the kitchen entails risks to the food quality. Deodorant particles may be deposited on the food or on the cooking utensils, which may cause chemical contamination of the food, or at least impair its qualities of taste.
It is also known to fit, in the kitchen, filter systems, for example based on activated charcoal, or systems using ozone to destroy the organic compounds contained in the gaseous effluents.
These solutions are expensive and they require frequent maintenance operations. In addition, the efficiency of these solutions is not always satisfactory.